Sempiternal
by VampBirdie
Summary: "We're natural enemies," I stated blatantly. "I prefer the term 'star-crossed lovers'." He grinned cheerfully.
1. Prologue

**Author's Note: I have a good feeling about this fanfic. I hope you enjoy it.**

_Prologue_

_1863,_ Texas

I curled up in a melancholy ball, in the thick crops of a field. My long flaxen locks were tangled, resembling a bird's nest, and the wind manipulated the tendrils in a swinging motion, brushing across my face as if trying to offer me comfort. I only tucked my head away in response to the mild gusts, burrowing my face in my lap, wishing my life away.

_I didn't really have a life though_, I reminded myself mentally. As soon as my big brother had saluted me wryly and gave me an affectionate kiss to the cheek, everything good seemed to rust, and collapse. My father was in southern Texas, and I truly had no idea if he was still alive. Nor did I know if my mother was alive. The last I'd seen of my greying, loving mother was when I had been pried from her warm embrace, plucked from my home, and taken to a strange town miles away. I was introduced to a gentleman called John, although he was far from a gentleman. He eyed me with an eerie glint in his sinister eyes, and wrapped his long fingers around my arm, tugging me inside his large manor. Although there was an imposing air of wealth in the huge home, I wanted nothing more than to run back to my cramped – yet homey – house with my mother, I knew the odds were intimidatingly awful. I had no idea where I was, how to get back home, and this man – John – seemed keen on keeping a close eye on me. The mere thought gave me a prickly shiver.

"Your duties will be assigned to you in the mornin'," John informed me, his voice somehow seeming slimy. "When you're not workin', you're staying out of sight. Got it?" I just stared back, unable to allow myself to back down from his dark eyes. "I am your master; my wife is your mistress. You dare say otherwise, and your punishment will be severe." I didn't doubt it.

Nevertheless, the following year were bordering on being labelled as 'Hell'. I was assigned regular cleaning and washing duties of all family members' clothing. On rare occasions, John permitted me to work outside with Oliver, the main gardener of the estate. Although it was my most enjoyable days at the Stanley estate, I loathed the feeling of knowing John thought as though I owed him something in return. I owed him nothing – I was a slave.

But it all built up to this very day.

John was high in the hierarchy of the Confederate Army, which my brother had joined two years ago, when he was the illegal age of seventeen. Whilst John was out of town till noon, I didn't hesitate to slip into his dark oaken office, sifting through the stacks of paperwork on the oversized desk. Finding nothing of importance, I shuffled over to the cabinets, yanking open each drawer and checking the files. Again, I came up empty. My hope had yet to falter, and I opened the looming cupboard in the far corner of the office, my eyes widening when I realised what was pinned up inside the cupboard. It was a map. Coloured pins were placed carefully in certain parts, mainly around the Texan borders. It was the army positions. I attempted to figure out which colour symbolised what, but to no avail. I stepped back from the detailed map, considering what I should do next. Guessing a location was a far-fetched idea, so I chose to discover where compiled lists of Confederate soldiers were placed in this office. I peered through the rest of the cupboard, and noticed the filing cabinet beside the cupboard, all drawers locked securely. A devious grin fluttered across my lips. Well, it wasn't like I would be in the vicinity when John returned from his trip. I filtered through several drawers until I found a crowbar hidden underneath his desk. I quirked my brow, and pushed the kink of the crowbar in the top of the first filing cabinet drawer, gripping it tightly as I pulled it upwards, catching the whining protests of the cabinet as I broke the drawer open. I grinned vehemently, briefly wondered if my past year of slavery had pushed me into insanity. Not wasting time, I sifted through the files, but only came across recent recruits. I broke open the second drawer, and giggled manically, holding the crowbar underneath my armpit as I flicked through the files. If Jasper had been in the Confederacy for two years now, I guessed he would've been promoted. He had natural instincts and great capabilities that the army would be interested in. The folders in the cabinet were placed in order of rank. So I pulled out several folders that were of higher rank than recruits, and scanned through them, knowing my brother's name would stand out like a red flag to a bull.

And it did. My breath caught sharply, and I pushed my tangled tendrils from my face as I stared at the page on my lap.

_Major Jasper Whitlock _ϯ

I stared for several minutes, my eyes trained on the symbol beside my brother's name. No. My throat constricted. _No_. There was a mistake. No! My brother was not dead. He'd run away, gone missing. He was not dead.

A strangled sound tore from my dry throat, and I pushed the file from my lap, letting it slip onto the floor, creating a mess. _No_. He was okay, wherever he was. I abruptly stood, my fingers trembling violently. I shook my head ferociously, my breath quickening. I released a sound that could not be recognised, and my muscles clenched and ached. I reached out feverishly, brutally wiping everything off the desk of my pigheaded master. I gave a strangled growl, throwing the small vase into the perpendicular wall.

"You _idiot_!" I cried aloud, huffing and panting unevenly. "You stupid prick, why did you go?" I violently shoved the chain onto its side, slamming the crowbar into the perfectly crafted desk. Not anymore. Over and over, I bashed the desk in angry horror. "You got yourself killed!" My words became incoherent mutters, and I threw the crowbar across the room, shaking as I stumbled from the room, the door left wide open, displaying the disarrayed mess I'd made. Dianna watched me wide-eyed as I hurried down the staircase, pushing myself into a sprint as I burst through the large set front doors, running into the large field beside the mansion. Tears threatened to spill, and I furiously forced them away. The blisters imbedded in my feet were forgotten as my soles smacked against the hard soil. I clumsily climbed over the fence, crying out in fury as my dress latched onto the wiring. I tugged it ruthlessly from its captor, which resulted in a large tear down the side of the thin fabric. I continued trudging through the field, my pace slowing as my pants fastened. With a heaving chest, I crumpled and collapsed in the middle of the dense crops.

And now, I was attempting to sort my thoughts into a chronological order. _Jasper_… I squeezed my eyes, caging the hot tears in the ducts of my eyes. He wasn't gone, I surely told myself. He was a logical, strategic soldier. He knew what he was doing. He couldn't have been outsmarted by his enemy. I shook my head, and in doing so I also stubbornly shook away my irresolution. _He was alive. Somewhere_.

I ordered myself to focus – to figure out his possible locations. He was in the south-east of Texas when he was last seen. His platoon had been assigned to Galveston. On the file that had Jasper's name handwritten, with the thick, dark symbol beside it, it also displayed the location of his supposed death. Galveston – that was a start. The Stanley Manor was resided on the outskirts of Alvin, which wasn't too far from Galveston. But, would Jasper still be anywhere near Galveston? Galveston had been listed as the platoon's temporarily base, but it wasn't generally where all their missions took place. He could have been on a mission as far as Angleton. I sighed, furrowing my brows. Where was I to begin my search? I could go to Galveston, ask for Jasper's exact whereabouts when he was labelled dead. But I didn't know how long ago it was. I didn't know if the platoon kept any sort of related records, or if the platoon was even still based in Galveston. As much as I would've liked one, I didn't end up with any solid plan. I just had to rely on my luck – which had been shocking in the past sixteen years of my life.

I grappled with getting back on my feet, and I instinctively crouched lowly beneath the surface of the sea of crops. I couldn't risk being seen now, especially after causing such a scene in the foyer. I had to get to the stables, which was behind the large back lawn of the property, and then had to manoeuvre a horse through the fields until I reached the crossroad at the corner of the paddocked field. I hadn't ridden a horse in over a year, but I didn't doubt that I was capable of the task I mentally set myself.

It took an estimated twenty minutes to reach the stables, and I clambered over the fence, slinking into the stables after a careful scan of my surroundings. I studied each horse, and decided on the largest – a lean, black stallion. I knew it was John's personal horse, which gave me an even better reason to take it. After he'd taken my life from my, this was a small price he'd pay in return. I hoisted a saddle over the horse, gearing the handsome creature up for a long trip ahead. I placed a bucket of feed under his nostrils as a gift, and stroked his sleek mane whilst finishing saddling him up. I strapped a bag onto his side, tucking in water bottles that I hurriedly filled from the well beside the stables. I huffed out a breath, swiping the sweat from my hairline as I stared into the deep eyes of the stallion.

"We're goin' to find him," I whispered surely. Twisting the leather rope between my fingers, I steered the horse out of the stables, and pushed open the nearby gate to the crop field. I heaved myself onto the back of the stallion, and grazed my fingertips through its mane. Staring back at the large picturesque mansion that was the Stanleys, I couldn't help but smirk, despite the situation. I would never return, I vowed. _Never_.

I clucked my tongue, and tugged the leather rope, steering the stallion through the fields. I leaned forward in anticipated adrenaline, fastening the horse's speed to a canter. The crops whipped menacingly at my feet, but I didn't care. I was leaving – I was going to find my brother.

Without much difficulty, I passed through the crossroads at the corner, choosing to ride along the very edge of the gravel road. My eyes were trained ahead, not shifting. The warm air caressed my skin, and I adjusted my dirtied and torn dress. Sweat blemished my forehead in the form of small beads, and I wiped them against the sleeve of my dress. The stallion gave a snorting huff, still maintaining the speed I'd initially challenged him with.

Above, the blue skies had warped into that of twilight. The crescent moon became a clearer feature of the sky, and I spared it a gaze before continuing the concentrate on my route to find my brother – although I had no idea where he was. I slowed down the horse momentarily, reaching back for a bound water bottle, sipping at it, relaxing as it slid down my dry throat soothingly. Sliding the bottle back into the side pouch, I silently ordered the stallion to speed up. He obeyed happily.

Time was a blur – it seemed like only minutes but like hours at the same time. The sky further darkened, leaving it's twilight shade behind as the night took grip. The glowing moon gleamed elegantly, casting dim light on my path. I'd pulled the stallion back to a trot, letting him relax in the peaceful air of the Texas night. I wondered what Jasper was doing. I wondered if he was struggling to get by, or if he'd found a safe haven and his life was turning out to be wonderful. I wondered if he worried about me like I did him.

Squinting tiredly at the track before me, my eyes suddenly widened as I registered the sight I saw. A woman. She was standing in the middle of the road, wearing a corset dress. I slowed the stallion to a halt, squinting in confusion. What on earth was she doing out here? I hadn't seen a town for hours. She must be lost.

I peered down at her, my lips seemingly incapable of forming a smile after what seemed like decades of servitude. "Ma'am? Are you lost?" She stepped under the glower of the moon, the light reflected from her pale skin. She peeked up underneath the brim of her hat, and I swear I could see red in her pupils. I frowned in confusion. I was starting to imagine things from my lack of sleep.

She smiled slowly up at me. "I believe so," she drawled deliberately. I bowed my head as I pushed myself over the side of the stallion, stepping onto my two feet and gazing at the strange woman.

"Ruby," I stated frankly, shrugging my shoulders.

"I'm Maria," she replied, her smile twisting into that of malevolency. "Sorry to inconvenience you, but I need your help, please."

I frowned again. "I don't believe we're heading the same way," I bluntly replied, my distrustful gaze clear. Her smile didn't falter though.

With a malicious smirk, she blurred out of sight. I blinked, stepping back in disorientation. I bumped into the stallion, and turned with an apology on my tongue, until I realised it hadn't been the horse. It was Maria.

Her canines gleamed with ominousness, and she lunged at me.

Everything vanished into blackness.

**Author's Note: I hope you all enjoyed this prologue. It's simply introduces Ruby and aspects of her past. Please review and tell me if you like it or offer constructive critisism. I plan on updating once a week, so this coming Sunday is my target to upload the first chapter. If this plan changes, I will let you know! :)**

**Thanks!**


	2. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: I previously said I would update on this coming Sunday, but it seemed slightly ridiculous to only post the prologue, as it is simply an introduction to the story. So, here is the first chapter of Sempiternal. I hope you all enjoy it.**

**Collision**

My fingertips grappled the granite of the cliff face. In a slick movement, I flung myself onto the rocky edge, balancing myself with ease. I scanned the area we had arrived at. An overwhelming amount of greenery was edging in from the forests, like a stalking shadow everywhere I looked. Over the cliff, the waves crashed harmoniously, the salty liquid veneering the jagged rocks. Their size decreasing rapidly, the waves tumbled onto the pebbled shore of the beach. Beyond the beach were scattered buildings – general store, hardware store, houses. All the buildings were brittle with native age. I grimaced, casting a look back across the elongated ocean. I wished I was in Texas – where I belonged.

I inhaled, expecting the diluted scent of salty water and humans. Instead, I nearly suffocated, metaphorically of course. Wafting up my nostrils was a dreadful stench resembling that of a dirty, wet dog. My nose puckered and my lips curled in revulsion.

"Is this Jasper's sick idea of a joke?" Charlotte jeered, her face distorted much like mine. Her cropped hair blew in obedience to the wind, and she flicked it in irritation. Beside her, Peter also held a similar expression of repulsion. The smell was awful.

"I'm going to take at least one of his limbs once I lay eyes on him," I promised candidly. Peter chuckled, shaking his head as if to rid the stench from drifting up his nose again. To back up my threat towards my brother, I stared avidly at a loose rock, willing it off the comfort of the damp ground, and watching it with control as it lurched towards a tree, easily puncturing an obvious hole through the thick trunk. Smirking shrewdly, I gazed at Peter and Charlotte before wordlessly leading them towards our destination, slipping into the forest. With ardent attention, I sniffed out scents of our kind, satisfied as I found a path that followed a recent, strong scent of a vampire. It was less than a minute when we found ourselves at the edge of a manicured property. Gazing upwards, I saw the elegantly stunning home, it's exterior walls completely window panelling. I heard the low mutters inside the large house, and promptly leapt through an open window, my feet planting levelly on the glossy marble floor of a kitchen. I peered around the room in curiosity at the odd contraptions.

"Ruby, Peter, Charlotte." We were greeted politely. Peter and Charlotte stepped forward, lining up with my footing. We watched the Cullen smile at us, thin-lipped, and all our eyes – undoubtedly – flickered to his golden-stained irises. It was such an oddity to me, I still hadn't gotten used to their unusual lifestyle.

"Edward," Peter returned courteously, tipping his head slightly. Edward ran a hand through his tousled bronze hair, and gestured towards the adjacent room.

"Please, follow," he requested. I stepped back, wrinkling my nose. Did he think I cared why he was the Volturi's most recent target? No, I was here because my idiotic brother had himself involved with the troublesome Cullens. Whilst they may have innocent intentions, I was irritated at their ability to constantly place my brother in the firing line, using his loyalty to their advantage.

Edward shot a steel glare towards me, his posture warping into one of defensiveness. In response, I stared straight back, my gaze not wavering as a nearby glass vase shattered, its splinters flooding the polished floors. I turned and sprung out the window again, swooping into a nearby tree, where I stretched across a thick branch, scrutinising the Cullens' mansion. Their dysfunctional coven was obsessed with acting human – still unable to accept the fact that they were vampires even after decades, or in some cases, centuries. Why couldn't they simply embrace their vampirism?

I unashamedly eavesdropped on the conversations within the house.

"Ruby'll come back in soon," Peter told Edward, as he and Charlotte quietly followed him into the next room. I wrinkled my nose distastefully. _Piss off, Peter_, I thought.

"Ruby?" An unfamiliar voice questioned with curiosity.

"Jasper's sister. She came here from Texas. She's not very… approachable." Edward chose his words carefully, aware of the damage I could cause to him if he were to irritate me.

The other feminine voice, who I assumed to be Edward's newfound mate, paused in surprise. "Jasper has a sister?"

"Yes. She may not take kindly to you, nor Renesme," Edward warned her softly. "She's annoyed we have placed Jasper is danger with our antics."

"Annoyed is one word for it," Charlotte snickered. "Don't aggravate her and she won't break your furniture." A tinge of amusement blemished her voice, and my lips twitched slightly.

"What?" The unknown voice questioned in confusion.

"Ruby has a certain gift, a powerful one," Edward informed her, "She has telekinesis."

"Move objects with her mind?" The woman asked unsurely. I assumed Edward nodded.

"Well… would you like to meet our daughter, Renesme?" Edward's mate asked softly, to Peter and Charlotte, I supposed.

I then tuned out, ignoring the introductions inside. Swallowing the venom in my mouth, I grimaced. I needed to hunt.

If it were possible, I would've got whiplash. Below my tree, Edward appeared, his face set in a stony expression. His jaw clenched and unclenched as he glowered up at me.

"No hunting in the area," he ordered. I cocked my head, pouncing from the branch and landed gracefully in front of Edward, our bodies mere inches apart as I looked at him, my crimson eyes flashing.

"I'm here to help you and your pathetic newborn mate, and you think you are in a position to demand more of me?" Above me, the branch I'd been perched on snapped loudly, dropping onto the ground beside me with a solid thump. Low in my throat, a growl rumbled demonically, warding away Edward's ignorance. He had no right.

"No hunting in the area," he repeated tightly. I rolled my eyes at his puckered expression. Without a word of agreement, I blurred from his sight, running through the thick forest, tearing beneath the blanket of copious leaves. I weaved between trunks, leaping over fallen logs and swinging off branches as if I were a monkey. I slowed at the outskirts of Seattle, closing my eyes as I inhaled deeply, my chest expanding. I sniffed the compiled scents, all mixed together like they were in a blender. It was like a food contest. I, as the judge, had to choose the best meal. But I simply had the scent to choose from. Sniffing once more, I chose the scent of a middle-aged woman, who'd just finished a shift as a fast-food restaurant. My stance lowered dangerously, and I narrowed my eyes as my natural instincts grasped control of my actions. I slipped through the city like a blurry beast. Sniffing out my target's scent, I found her slowly wandering alone a quiet street, her stride tiresome and slouched. Without another thought, my arm snaked around her throat, and I pulled her from the open neighbourhood to an abandoned lot. She screamed in agony as I sunk my teeth into her warm, soft throat. Her blood washed through my mouth, as I sucked, it slipped down my throat slickly. I growled gently, grasping her tightly as I drained her, pinching my eyes shut in pleasure. Her blood was delicious, it scented with her unique smell. My chest heaved in content as I loosened my iron hold on her shoulder and throat, and let her slip from my arms, her corpse dwindling lifelessly to the ground. I ran my tongue along my lips and teeth, humming in satisfaction. I glanced down at the body I'd just drained moments ago, and within the second, I was gone from the scene. I took a leisurely route to the Cullens' home, slowing at several points to wrestle and tease the mammals I came across. It was midnight by the time I'd pried my presence from the forest, and re-entered the Cullen household. I wrinkled my nose, once again overwhelmed by the revolting scent of wet dog. I scowled in disgust.

"Ruby," Edward Cullen greeted, his voice all but happy to see me. I eyed him, and sidestepped past his right shoulder. I stepped through the threshold of the lounge room, surveying the near two dozen vampires within the room. Many were nomadic, not loyal to any particular coven, whilst others were large covens, such as the Denalis. They shared the same eating habits as the Cullens. I sought out Peter and Charlotte, who were quietly positioned in the corner of the room, watching their surroundings wearily. In the other far corner, was an English nomad called Alistair, who stood stiffly, looking out the window with a blank expression.

"Ruby," Edward began softly behind me, "I apologise for my aggression earlier." His voice was taut, and I assumed he'd been ordered to apologise by his mate. I stared at him blankly.

"No need to apologise for words that did not affect me," I jeered, and joined Peter and Charlotte. I could hear the soft mumbles between Edward and his mate behind me, and soon learnt the newborn's name. Bella. I crinkled my nose. Edward shot me a look. I rolled my eyes, irritated by the brooding vampire. He had the personality of a rock. Edward wisely ignored my jabs, and I smirked haughtily.

"How was your hunt?" Peter inquired with a small smile.

"Tasty," I answered simply. After several more words were exchanged with the pair, I stepped away, and approached the silent, stony vampire in the other corner of the room.

"Still as sardonic as ever, Alistair," I hummed, leering at the older immortal. He looked at me reproachfully, tilting his head.

"It's been a while since I've seen your irksome face." My features showed no hurt by his words, instead my lips quirked.

"You smell like roadkill," I mused bluntly, my nose wrinkled in distaste.

His plain expression contorted. "Just two young birds on a girls weekend road trip," he replied easily. I snorted, easily understanding his interpretation of 'birds' wasn't quite referring to the winged kind.

"Lovely," I commented, and cocked a brow in curiosity at the English man. "How did you get roped into this affair?"

"Carlisle played the 'friend' card," he answered sourly, irritated by his old friend's antics. The conversation died, and we stood motionlessly side by side. From outside the doorway, a small child came trundling into the room, gazing around at the intimidating swamp of vampires.

"The Cullens created an immortal child?" I questioned Alistair. "Wow, how lovely of them to force the rest of the vampire population to face the deathly wrath of the Volturi." I eyed the sight before me as Edward collected the child in his arms, smiling widely as he listened to her innocent chatter. He shifted her to his hip, and approached me cautiously, his eyes flickering protectively to the child in his arms. In a flash, Edward's mate, Bella, was beside him.

"Ruby, this is Renesme," Edward informed me lightly. "She's a vampire-human hybrid." It seemed like he was correcting my words moments earlier, and I rolled my eyes.

"If the child has inherited your personality or your mate's lack of, I doubt we'll get along," I directed my frank words towards the broody vampire. Edward's face hardened, and Bella appeared taken aback.

"Ruby-" I cut off Edward.

"No, shut up. I'm here for my brother, and that only expands to his mate. I do not care for you, your mate nor your hybrid. Because of your stupidity, I am caught in your idiocy, and will become a priority on the Volturi's power hit list."

"Then leave," Edward hissed defensively, his arm hovering around his mate.

"I would," I snapped, "If you hadn't brought my brother into your mess."

"In case you haven't _noticed_, Jasper isn't here."

"You believe he and Alice will stay hidden throughout the entirety of your confrontation with the Volturi? He has moronic loyalty to your troublesome coven."

We'd gained the interest of the whole room, and every eye was glued to us. Conscious of the stares, Bella placed her palm on Edward's chest.

"Stop, Edward. Let's go to the cottage," she soothed him gently, and his face softened by her calmness. He shot me another dagger, before leaving the room with his mate and child in tow.

Edward had always been the most infuriating member of the Cullen clan to deal with. His insistent brooding and miserable personality always had me instinctively wanting to step on his throat. The rest of the coven was tolerable. Rosalie had always been my favourite.

Edward's behaviour had be planning the destruction of his family cottage, and during my revengeful plans, I was interrupted by Peter.

"Maybe you should keep your distance from Edward," he stated, chuckling as he recalled the conflict from earlier. "I doubt Jasper will be pleased with you if you destroy his friend."

I scowled. "I find it hard to believe Jasper has enough tolerance for that bastard. He's grown soft."

Charlotte gave Peter a look, which portrayed a message I was unaware of. Peter nodded to her, and looked back to me.

"We're going to go to Vancouver – to hunt," he informed me. "We'll be back in a few hours." I glared at the pair.

"You're leaving me here with the insufferable Cullen? You're assholes," I acknowledged. They both grinned at me, chuckling. It was several minutes later when they flew out the front door, disappearing into the surrounding forestry.

Alistair stalked from the room, and I followed him. He headed up into the attic, aware of my presence behind him. "Leave."

"No."

He sat stiffly on a chair in the said attic, and I inspected the objects inside the cramped room. They were all dusty, a shocking contrast to the constantly polished and perfect furniture downstairs. I brushed the twin chair to Alistair's, and planted myself rigidly on it. It was a quiet place. I could see why Alistair preferred it to the clustered room beneath us. I pulled out a bow, blowing the thick dust from the worn lid.

"Chess?" I suggested to Alistair, who didn't respond. Unaffected by his lack of enthusiasm, I set up the chess board, and gestured to the black chess pieces. "Your turn."

The game proceeded in silence, which I wasn't bothered by. Sometimes it was difficult to attempt 'friendliness'. I, personally, did not understand that term. If I wasn't particularly taken with a person, I didn't feel I should fake my feelings. That shouldn't be called friendliness – that was servitude to fakery. I already had a fair taste of servitude from my human years to feel keen to do it again.

"Alistair," I cocked my head sideways in exasperation. "Why does it always reek of wet dog here?" The scent this house was soaked in had bothered me. I had yet to see a furry creature bound inside, his tongue lapping sloppily out his mouth.

In a rare display of amusement, Alistair's lips twitched. "Ah, the Cullens have adopted several new pets." He moved a knight. "Werewolves."

My brows rose in surprise. "As in, Children of the Moon?" I slid my own knight across the board.

Alistair shook his head, his tangled chin-length hair falling in his eyes. "No, as in shape-shifters. There is a pack of their kind nearby."

I stared in wonder. The Cullens had shape-shifter pets, a hybrid child running around and a troublesome young girl who was newly turned. It was quite astonishing the Volturi had taken so long to take action against this coven. It also made me peeved at Jasper's stupidity for sticking around this Washington town. His brain had been much more impressive two centuries ago.

I lost to the English vampire, and after ordering a rematch later, I left him to his quiet sanctuary within the attic, and re-joined the vampires downstairs. Edward was nowhere in sight, instead Bella and her oddly named child were entertaining the undead guests.

"Hush, Ness. The others should return in an hour or two, and Jacob will come by to have dinner with you." The child had brightened, but still looked restless beside her mother.

"Where's Daddy?" The hybrid complained. She did smell quite nice, but not as appetising as my meal earlier.

"He's hunting," Bella soothed, "go play with Benjamin." I watched as the child perked up, and trotted out of the room, in search of the vampire. Bella glanced at me, aware of my presence behind her.

"I'm sorry for Edward's behaviour. Sometimes he's a bit…" She trailed off, pondering the right word to use.

"Selfish? Narcissistic? Miserable?" I offered. She winced uncomfortably at my suggestions.

She paused for several moments, careful. "What did you mean when you said you were going to be a priority on the Volturi's hit list?"

I gave a sadistic smile. "What do you think happens when the Volturi are hungry for a power such as telekinesis, and that vampire who holds the gift has no such coven to fight or protect her?" Bella's brows creased.

"You have Jasper. Us." The last word was tagged on uneasily, and I rolled my eyes incredulously.

"I hardly spend enough time around Jasper for him to be an obstacle to the Volturi." I was irritated by this personal path the conversation had taken. I did not like Bella, nor did I seek comfort from her. I turned away from her, abruptly ending the exchange of words, and jumped out the window, landing on the healthy grass that was the back lawn. I spotted the hybrid child, sitting in the dirt, with the vampire called Benjamin. Benjamin had power of the elements, and could manipulate them however he pleased. In a way, our powers were quite similar. I watched as he concentrated on the dirt surrounding the child, and it rose from the ground, spinning around the child like a tornado. The dirt-cloaked child giggled loudly, reaching out and poking her fingers through the mask of dirt. With a small smirk, I eyed the tree lurching over the two, and it began rattling, the remainder of its leaves falling onto the pair. Benjamin's tornado slowed, and he glanced up at me.

"You must be Ruby." His eyes shone with interest.

"Benjamin," I replied tersely.

He smiled, his eyes glinting as he gestured around him. "Please, join us."

Wordlessly, I pounced into the overhead tree, and watched from above as Benjamin entertained the child. Several times, I tripped him over with a branch that I'd temporarily adopted as a mischievous pet. Benjamin laughed all incidents off, not bothered by my antics. I eyed the branch, and it floated up, loyally lingering by my side in the tree.

"Ness!" a voice called cheerfully. I peered around the trunk of my tree, and spotted a shirtless young man. Before I could mentally compliment his impressive muscles, I sniffed and nearly fell off the branch. He reeked. The stench of wet dog wafted quickly up my nostrils, and I held my hand over my nose, as if to protect my sense of smell from the foul odour. The child clambered to her feet, and she leapt into his open arms. As the mutt hugged her fiercely, he looked over her head at me, and narrowed his eyes slightly. I wrinkled my nose, slipping off the branch and landing several feet from the animal.

"Who are you?" he asked prudently.

"Ruby Whitlock." My answer was short, blatant.

His brows creased. "Whitlock? Is that…"

"Jasper," I supplied. "I'm his shameful little sister who eats people." He blinked at my forwardness, and began looking very uncomfortable. He inched backwards, holding the child protectively; as if afraid I would tear her throat out. _Unlikely_, I mused, _she was covered in the scent of dog_.

Behind me, I heard light footsteps, slowing as they neared. With a small sniff, I recognised the man approaching. Covering my grimace with a smirk, I looked at Edward.

"Catch a Bambi?" I mocked. There was a stifled snort from the dog. Edward didn't reply, instead he headed over to the dog and hybrid.

"Ness, are you hungry?" The child's head bobbled.

"Seth's coming," the dog told Edward. "He's curious about all these vampires." Edward gave an amused smile, and the two went inside, the child wandering between them.

From the edge of my peripheral, I saw a log flying towards me. Automatically, I thrust out my hand and it rebounded before it touched my hard skin. Benjamin grinned, and eyed the log carefully, using his powers to manipulate the wind and throw the log back at me. His throw wasn't as powerful as mine, as his power was focussed on wind, not objects solely.

Without many words, we continued to toss the large log back and forth. Benjamin's mate joined us, and sat cross-legged on the ground several meters from Benjamin. The game grew more advanced as an hour flickered by – Benjamin began a dirt storm and two more logs were added, which caused both of us to begin ducking and dodging whilst also tossing the logs back towards the opposition.

Our game was abruptly halted by a loud noise of awe to our right. The logs dropped to the grass, and the dirt floundered in the air before landing on us. I shook my hair out, irritated. Exiting from his haven in the trees appeared a young man, shirtless. He shared the same physique as the dog. Although his face was much more desirable. His features appeared boyish, much more welcoming and warm than that of the mutt. With a subtle whiff, I grumbled in distaste. He too was a mutt. His rich chocolate brown eyes were glued to me, raking over me intensely. As eye contact was made, I frowned oddly. Did this creature have Tourette's? His mouth was loosely hanging open, and I cocked a brow at him.

"You're a dog," I stated frankly. He didn't blink, but appeared momentarily confused. Beside me, a log began hovering. "Fetch."

The log powerfully lurched through the air, towards the young mutt. He didn't seem to comprehend my actions, still staring deeply at me. Hurling, the log neared the unnamed dog, and slammed directly into his face.

I tilted my head to the side. Odd.

**Author's Note: As I have school and several assignments due this week, I may not be able to update by my target of Sunday, but hopefully I do. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter - please review, favourite and follow! :)**


	3. Chapter 2

**Authors's Note: Target upload date on the dot! I said Sunday and here we are! I'm hoping to stick to this update schedule, but if I receive larger demand, maybe I'll surprise you with an earlier update. Anyway, please enjoy this chapter!**

**Thanks to my beautiful reviewers so far: WriteAndDream23, LilGreenearth97, nightsinshadow and Cirque de Morte!**

**Refusal**

Needless to say, I was immediately admonished by Edward as he flew out the back door, Bella by his side and the other mutt at their hides. I grimaced, turning my back to Edward and peering over at the wounded werewolf.

"Seth!" The other pet dog ran towards the crumpled being, crouching by his side and examining his face. Despite my maturity, I snorted. His nose was crooked with an obviousness that made me give a surprising laugh. Blood sprouted from his nose, and he cupped his face, recoiling in pain.

"I'm fine, Jake," Seth muttered, his voice muffled and subdued by his covering hand.

The Jake character ignored his assurance, frowning. "Phase," he ordered, "it'll heal quicker."

With a sigh, Seth unsteadily heaved himself onto his feet, and in a short moment, he morphed into a large furry beast. My eyes marvelled the fascinating werewolf before me. I'd never seen a shape-shifter before – having lived the entirety of my vampire life in the south, and my several travels had never included hunting down shape-shifters. 'Jake' wheeled on me, glaring wildly.

"What is your problem?" He growled, stepping towards me menacing. I suppressed a sigh.

I looked over at Edward. "Is anger management inability a side effect of being an oversized wolf?"

'Jake' snarled, his jaw clenching rigidly. His coffee skin seemed to vibrate in anger.

"Jacob," Edward warned lowly, his eyes flickering from Jacob to me uneasily. Beside him, Bella clutched his arm slackly. We'd gathered an audience. In a loose circular formation, several vampires clustered around, whilst some were safety observing from the large windows of the house. I spotted Alistair watching from the roof.

Jacob paid no heed to Edward's cautionary, and narrowed his dark eyes at me. His hands balled furiously, his knuckles turning white. I nearly rolled my eyes. This was much too dramatic. Then again, I sparkled.

In a hasty moment, Jacob snarled callously, his body stretching out, before morphing into a giant russet-coloured wolf. I had to admit, Seth had a prettier wolf. In my moment of studying the two wolves, Jacob had leaned on his hind legs, before he lunged powerfully at me, his large form sailing through the air. His smell became stronger as he drew closer. I narrowed my eyes, prepared for the short battle ahead. This mutt completely underestimated me. He must not have registered the fact that I'd lived my vampire life in a vampire army in the south, constantly in battles and fighting. His lack of skill almost made me snigger. As my eyes were trained on the lurching russet wolf, another wolf pounced in front of me, settling quickly in a protective stance directly before me, snapping and baring his canines at Jacob, who growled thunderously in return. Seth roared louder, shaking his large head, inching closer to Jacob, their snouts almost touching. In a staring battle, Jacob surprisingly backed down, bowing his head as he retreated backwards. Seth turned around, his great chocolate eyes shining as he looked at me, our eye level almost exact.

My eyes narrowed into slits as I backed a step away from the shifter. "I do not need your useless protection," I hissed, flicking my wrist, sending him tumbling through the air, landing only several meters from my feet, toppling on top of Jacob. Only enough power to put him in his rightful place. I wasn't a weak mortal – I wasn't a damsel who needed a guard dog. Seth yelped, more from surprise rather than pain. I clenched my jaw, turning on my heel and leaping up onto the roof, bypassing Alistair and crawling swiftly into the attic.

With a sigh, I sat on the seat I'd earlier occupied. Alistair appeared by the untouched chessboard, looking down at me in interest. Sensing my mental monologue about Seth, he simply sat on his chair, and set up a new game of chess. Without voicing my appreciation, I moved my pawn, inwardly screeching. Why were shape-shifters so odd?

The game continued quietly, each of us gradually ticking off the opponent's pieces. But, our comfortably peace was interrupted by loud voices downstairs.

"Let me _go_, Jake!" A familiar voice ordered irritably. "She's my imprint – I _deserve_ to see her! How would you feel if I kept _you_ from Nessie?" He questioned accusingly. Seth. I exhaled, frustrated with the dog before he even exploded into the attic.

"Ruby," my name tumbled strangely off his tongue – different from anybody else's. He swallowed loudly, halting as he saw me, my eyes boring into his bluntly. "I'm sorry," he finally stated, seeming to internally struggle. "I shouldn't have-"

"No, you shouldn't have," I agreed promptly. "I do not understand your motives, nor do I want to. Moreover, I do not care to fathom the term 'imprint'. You are a mutt," I summarised simply.

Seth's mouth fell slightly, and his bright eyes were drained of their colour.

"This exchange ends with you walking back down those stairs," I directed. The young man in front of me frowned, disheartened. Rendered speechless, he backed towards the stairs, and as his head hung, he took the first step, then paused briefly, mumbling, "I'm sorry, Ruby."

I didn't return to the chess game, instead jumping out the attic and landing softly on the grass. I flew through the trees, propelling myself into the trees, hurdling from tree to tree, branch to branch. I allowed a ghostly smile flitter upon my lips serenely. The harmonious chants of birds swept through my hearing range, intertwining with the harsh crashing of the oceanic waves on the beach miles away. The light buzzes of conversation at the Cullens became less than a whisper as I swung beneath the treetops, no destination in mind.

What was so different about Seth? Why was he insistent on helping me, apologising to me, when he didn't know me? I easily succeeded in pushing everyone way before they even turned in my direction. I shook the confusing thoughts from my mind, realising that no answer would come from my brain, only Seth's. But I didn't consider asking him an option. No, definitely not.

Eventually, after an hour of soaring through the forest, I returned to the Cullens. Instead of even approaching the house, I sprung up into my tree, seating myself on the familiar branch. I lazed against the trunk, staring at the leaves on the ground, and gently brushing them through the air, making them perform an elegant dance.

I glanced down at the base of the tree, hearing the cracking of fallen sticks and dried leaves. Seth approached the tree, only looking up briefly, before he leant down and gently placed a small object at the roots of the trunk. I frowned, my brow furrowing in confusion. With a slow exhale, he straightened up and walked back into the house. Gazing down at the small wooden object, I focussed lightly, making it gently float into my waiting, open palm. I blinked in surprise.

It was a small, carved wooden wolf. I opened my mouth, about to call to Seth, but thought better of it, slowly easing back in my position, resuming my game with the leaves as I ran my thumb along the smooth surface of the carved wood.

The next day passed as slowly as a human's speed walk. Bella had uncovered an apparent gift, a shield against mental attacks. After chucking a boulder at the brunette newborn, I had realised it was merely only mental attacks. Edward's attitude towards me did not improve, possibly because my throwing a boulder at his wife had cemented our relationship in an awkward, cold phase.

Seth seemed almost unaffected by my lack of warmth, and without falter, he always left a carved woodland creature at the roots of my tree every time I found myself lazing within its jigsaw of branches. I had no particular place to keep the wooden animals, and decided to create a hollow in the tree, where my sculpted animals sat safely. Although Seth has skirted around physically communicating with me after I snapped at him yesterday, I regularly felt his dark eyes fixed on me, boring into the side of my face as he stood at the oversized windows of the Cullens' house.

The rest of the Cullen coven had returned from their global travels, and I greeted Rosalie with hidden relief, as well as the rest of the family. Really, it was only Edward who I found insufferable. Rosalie laughed as I jeered about Edward, my eyes narrowed in irritation. Emmett had welcomed himself into our small exchange, collecting me in his muscles arms, and when I scowled in aversion to the overly cheerful contact, he set me down, rolling his eyes with a cheeky grin. Esme smiled warmly at me, having taken note of my dislike of Emmett's physical approach, and I returned it, my smile small and tight, no comparison to Esme's easy, glowing beam. Carlisle also gave me a simple smile, telling me how it'd been such a long time since we'd last had contact, and he was regretful of the circumstances in which we reunited in. I just shrugged easily in response.

It was soon after their arrival that I chose to excuse myself from the house, the social buzz making me uncomfortable. At a reasonably human speed, I wandered into the forest, embracing the peaceful serenity it offered. From approximately a hundred yards away, I heard the humble yowl of a shape-shifter, a sound I grew accustomed to upon my arrival.

Although tempted to fasten my pace and shake the wolf off my back, I grudgingly decided against it, sighing inwardly as I glanced over my shoulder, recognising the wolf form as Seth's. His sandy fur was shaken eagerly as his gangly form bounded towards me, and he fell into step beside me, his silky, clean fur brushing on my bared arm. He flicked his gaze towards me, his head barely turning. I rolled my eyes at his forwardness, but decided not to object.

We walked in silent, my own movement stealth and graceful, whilst Seth's large paws splatted against the ground roughly, and his canines flashed as he gave a wolf-like grin.

I looked forward, ignoring the overly enthusiastic wolf beside me. He huffed, bumping my side lightly with his muscled shoulder. I rolled my eyes, avoiding his advances. He bounded in front of me suddenly, kneeling and looking up with large innocent eyes. He gave a small whine, silently begging for something unbeknown to me. Unaware of his request, I shrugged and beckoned a thick stick from the ground, silently willing it to float happily by my side. With a small smirk, I threw it over Seth's head. He stared at me, and gave a cheerful howl, jumping up and bolting after the stick. I gave a small laugh, watching the wolf as he came trundling back towards me. I failed to suppress the amused smile that crept onto my face without my permission, and it seemed to encourage Seth greatly.

He took advantage of my small smile, and after he dropped the sloppy stick at my feet, he peered at my face before dragging his wet tongue across my cheek. I made a strangled laughing sound, pouncing up in a tree. He barked up at me, rolling in the dirt and yapping playfully. I rolled my eyes, and willed the abandoned stick to rise, and I once again tossed it far through the trees. Seth didn't hesitate to chase after it. I shook my head, confused by this odd werewolf.

He seemed adamant on pleasing me, in a way that had me feeling befuddled. He had no reason to stay in my presence, and his motives had me confused. I couldn't understand what he'd get out of this.

As he raced back towards me, I felt myself stiffen. His excited pace slowed disconcertingly, confused by the sudden change in my attitude, but I didn't allow myself to be affected. He hesitantly dropped the stick from his mouth, and gazed at me with his large, human eyes. He didn't seem to even notice the bright redness of my own irises, and what that entailed.

"I want you to stop whatever you're doing," I stated brusquely. "You are a shape-shifter, a natural enemy of mine, and whilst I could overlook that particular detail in certain circumstances, this is not one of those circumstances. I am merely here to witness against the Volturi, and when they leave, so shall I. Do not attempt to form a bond with me – I do not wish for one." My words were hard, cold. Seth's happy aura of confident faltered visibly, and I turned and blurred into a run before I could witness more of his inner turmoil.

As I neared the Cullens' house, I heard a loud, wounded howl in the distance, echoing and bouncing through the trees of the forest. It didn't take a vampire's senses to figure out which wolf it was.

_In the long run, it was better_, I told myself. I may have just stomped on his young heart, but nothing good would come of any sort of relationship between us. A vampire and shape-shifter meddling would cause all types of trouble, and I certainly wasn't eager to face that on top of the consequences I would face from the Volturi in regard to my certain powerful gift. They didn't like strong gifts kept from their reach. Involving wolves wouldn't ease my sentence.

Seth's hurt howls continued for several more minutes, before they were soothed and eased. I shook my head, irritated at myself and the strange, undead emotions this individual dog brought out in me. I'd barely had a conversation with him without my snapping at him harshly – why was his suffering bothering me so much?

I prolonged the thoughts in my mind as I approached the back door of the Cullens' house, fully aware of Edward's nosy gift. His knowledge of my thoughts wasn't something I wished for in the future.

That is, if I had one at all.

**Author's Note: How did you enjoy this chapter? I had a bit of trouble writing several parts, so I hope they turned out well and you enjoyed it. I'm really enjoying writing Ruby - she's very different from characters I've written in the past, but I love the challenge of her! I can't wait to explore more of her personality with you lovely readers, which I'm trying to do gradually, as Seth becomes a more frequent character. Anyway, ****_please_**** review, because they mean the absolute world and I completely melt when I get an email alert from a story review, so please review! I'll be back with another chapter on Sunday!**

**Thanks!**


	4. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: I finished writing this chapter on Tuesday night, so I'm posting it early, instead of the usual Sunday, as I also have a long weekend and have nothing better to do... I enjoyed this chapter, so I hope you all do as well!**

**Thanks to my wonderful recent reviewers: WriteAndDream23, Vale P and LilGreenearth97! I love and appreciate each of your reviews!**

**Acceptance**

It was Christmas day, a holiday that had sprung up gradually in Texas during my human life, but due to my being forced into slavery I hadn't fully participated in the holy celebrations.

It seemed the Cullens weren't in a terrific Christmas spirit, which had me bemused. They seemed like such a sickly perfect family that wore Christmas sweaters and sent a Christmas card every year. I'd learned, those were the modern celebrations of Christmas. Bella and Edward went through the motions for their hybrid daughter, and celebrated the holiday at Bella's human father's house. Once they'd driven a mile from the house, I smiled perkily in my mind. It was a relief to be rid of Edward for a few hours. It seemed every time I turned around, he was standing there, cloaked in his irritating aura. These past few days hadn't eased my dislike for the copper-haired vampire.

Metaphorically speaking, if he was a grater and my nerves were carrots, all my carrots would be in a shredded pile of nothing.

Also, with Edward out of mental earshot, I was free to think about Seth, and the oddity that he infected my thoughts with. It seemed, ever since I'd heard those echoed, wounded howls, it was difficult for me not to wonder about him. Being a parasitical shape-shifter, he'd managed to weasel into a gap in my mind, and no matter what I did, he would not disappear. I was incapable of comprehending how he was able to do it, but it bothered me to no end. He was just one werewolf of many – with a horrid stench. But, as reluctant as I was to admit, the werewolf stench had worn off on me. I barely noticed it wafting up my nostrils anymore. Then again, having an adopted litter of mutts frolic around indefinitely, it was bound to happen.

Seth hadn't tried to speak to me since my snappy flare in the forest. He was still a regular visitor in the Cullen house, but he hadn't attempted reconciliation, and neither did I. As odd emotions tormented me constantly for hurting the werewolf, I argued against my subconscious. _I would hurt him if I allowed any sort of relationship between us, _I thought resolutely. I would hurt him, and it would be followed by much drama and irritating spectacle. I was doing it for _everyone's_ benefit.

But, as the hours rolled by, I found my internal arguments flaking and faltering weakly. I was creating a larger spectacle by snapping at Seth on a systematic basis. If I had never obeyed Jasper's pleas, this entire situation would have been avoided. I would be in Texas, ripping apart newborn armies peacefully. I wasn't used to such confrontation. My normal life was so simple – there were no werewolves and no formidable Volturi army coming to kill us. There was no Seth.

I suddenly recoiled, involuntarily. No Seth? It caused an unnatural reaction in me when I imagined never meeting Seth. I grew furious with myself, and abruptly objects flew around the Cullens' lounge room. I hissed, smashing a light bulb. Releasing a violent growl, I flew from the room, and out the window. Instead of my normal routine of plunging deep into the forest, I weaved around to the front of the house, and blurred through the trees, heading towards the small town of Forks with increasing speed. My eyes fluttered peacefully, my long lashes brushing my cheeks softly.

As I reached the outskirts of Forks, the scent of hundreds of humans wafting up my nostrils, making my hunger flare and my throat burn slightly. I swallowed my excessive venom, and headed towards the local gas station on the border of town, and entered quietly, wrinkling my nose at the strong stench of human, processed food. I didn't smell the crispy, chicken-salted fries – I smelled the overwhelming amounts of fat it had previously been soaked in.

The station was mostly empty, excluding the overweight man who gazed at the overly exposed women on the covers of certain magazines on the stand by the doorway. I weaved around the man, wandering aimlessly around the station. It appeared to act as both a gas station and grocery necessities store. I scanned across the shelves, no particular item in mind to purchase.

What did humans enjoy? I squinted thoughtfully. It had been quite a while since I'd been one myself. I hummed quietly, and my eyes widened marginally as I spotted several identical items hanging from hooks at the end of the isle.

"You got a dog, Miss?" I peered over my shoulder in acknowledgement to the gruff voice. It belonged to a greying unshaven man, who smiled friendlily at me.

"Yes," I answered deliberately, "he's very clingy." I smirked inwardly. I gently unhooked the blue leather collar from its hook, and peered at the price tag. With blunt obviousness, my face fell, crestfallen. I sighed in forlorn, and reached back to the hook, hanging it back on the hook. With lousy human speed, the station employee grabbed my hand lightly, stopping me in my movement. I glanced at him, and he smiled at me with genuine kindness and concern.

"It's on me," he informed me with a wink, "every dog deserves a collar." A gracious smile formed on my lips, and I leant up to place a kiss on the man's cheek.

"You're so kind, sir," I gushed. "Thank you!" If I had seen a human acting like I was at the moment, I would've cornered her and plunged my teeth into her throat. But the man believed my act easily, and he flushed, flustered.

"No worries."

I sent him another sparkling smile, before gliding out the gas station, the collar gripped in my palm securely.

The Cullens had informed all the newcomer vampires of their treaty with the Quileute werewolves, and requested for us all to hopefully respect it and avoid stepping over the boundary into their land. I was never one for petty treaties with mutts, and I flew onto the native reservation, avoiding contact with the people, as I sniffed out Seth's scent, locating his family home with ease. I slipped inside the empty house, and rummaged around various cupboards and drawers until I located a pen and paper, and I scribbled a note on it.

I went upstairs, and found Seth's bedroom at the end of the hall. It was dark blue, with white carpet, which was embellished with several faded stains. His bedcovers were strewn off the dark timber frame, and articles of clothing were scattered across the floor. Drawers hung open lazily, displaying unfolded clothing. I shrugged to myself, and began zipping around the room, folding clothes in a blur, placing them in appropriate piles. I made his bed, and set the collar and note on his pillow. I exited the room through the window, and dove straight back into the forest, pursuing a path back towards the Cullens' house.

I sniggered softly to myself as I recalled the scribbled note I had left leaning against the leather collar.

_To Mutt_

_From Leech_

I sat pleasantly on my familiar branch on the edge of the Cullens' yard. My back was pressed against the trunk as one of my legs hung loosely off the side of the branch whilst the other was hitched up along the rough surface of the branch. I listened to the serenity the forest offered me generously, before my gaze rested on a small young bird. I squinted very slightly, and the bird began to float towards me, its wings suddenly flapping alarmingly as it squawked weakly.

I reached out and wrapped my fingers around its wild wings, releasing my power of it as I studied the tiny creature in my palm.

"I doubt you'll get any more than a granny teacup's worth of blood from that," A voice claimed from beneath my branch. My clamp on the bird loosened, and it flew eagerly away into the depths of the forest. I heaved an irritated sigh as I looked down at Seth, who had his neck craned. He observed me with a small smile upon his lips, and he gave a small chuckle as he held up an object, waving it slightly. It was the collar. My mouth fell into an instant smirk. "I just wanted to thank you for the… gift." He chose his word thoughtfully, amused as he studied the leathery collar.

I shrugged easily. "Apparently all pets deserve a collar."

He rolled his eyes, not affected by my light insult. He gave a small grin, seeping nerves becoming apparent. "I was wondering if you wanted to accompany me to the beach… as a thank you." He twiddled his thumbs anxiously, and I stared at him.

"I don't like water," I informed him.

He shrugged, "you don't have to touch it."

"I don't like sand."

"You don't have to touch that either."

"I don't like the smell," I said, wrinkling my nose theatrically to prove my point.

"Cover your nose," he suggested easily.

"Okay." I found myself complying easily, and it shocked me. I blinked at my own actions, as Seth grinned widely below me, seemingly close to wetting himself in excitement. "On one condition."

He shrugged easily, blissful with my agreement to go with him that he didn't care what my condition happened to be.

"Phase." He blinked, his face scrunching up in confusion. Cocking his head, he opened his mouth to speak, but I shook my head, jumping from my perch and taking the collar from his grasp. "Phase," I repeated, my voice carrying more command.

He hesitated, and decided against hiding and removing his clothing – instead simply stepping back and phasing in front of me, his clothes shredding and falling to the grass. He watched me intently as I thumbed the collar in my hands, and unwound it as I stepped towards Seth with an impish grin on my lips. He bowed his head unsure, and I placed the collar around his neck, threading the loop through and stepping back.

I wrinkled my nose, "You smell worse in wolf form."

He gave a whimper, scowling playfully at me and he shook his large head in a poor attempt to remove the collar. I snickered, and gestured towards the forest.

"Are we going to the beach or not?"

He gave a slobbery, toothy grin and immediately bounded into the forest. Casting another glance behind me unsurely, still confused as to why I was so easily going off with a werewolf, but I pushed my worries away. I wasn't going to cower.

I leaped after Seth, shooting past him and diving through the trees, swinging from the branches. Below, Seth yapped up at me cheerfully, jumping unsuccessfully into the trees. He sprinted on the ground, lunging over logs and boulders. I could smell the difference in natural scents as we crossed into Quileute lands, it was mostly void of vampiric scents. Seth led the way to a spot by the cliffs, where he slowed and hid behind a thick cluster of bushes, and he phased back. He reappeared wearing a pair of dirtied shorts he'd left underneath the bush. He grinned at me.

He steered me towards the cliffs, and I slid onto an oversized rock dangerously close to the edge of the cliff. Seth followed closely behind, but was conscious to leave space between us, unsure of my personal space boundaries. It was quite sweet – he was careful and hopeful to please me. I mentally scolded myself immediately after my small mental note of Seth's behaviour – he was a werewolf and I had absolutely no reason to allow myself to even act kindly towards him. I shouldn't be so lenient with a natural enemy.

Despite the happy, talkative nature that I'd witnessed of Seth's, he didn't attempt conversation, and we simply sat in companionship, watching the landscape as it was manipulated and warped by the sunset. Rolling beams of orange skies tumbled across the distant waves of the ocean, and soothed the shoreline with a soft lullaby.

As the weary sun succumbed to the moon, I glanced at Seth, who stared outwards, his mind visibly elsewhere. Mentally, I smirked. With a glint in my eyes, my hands found the muscular back of Seth, and I pushed him off the side of the cliff. He gave a surprised yelp and he flailed in mid-air, falling with increasing speed. I stood on the large rock, peeking over the edge and giving the smallest giggle as he created a loud splash in the water.

Unexpectedly, several growled rumbled from behind me, and I swivelled around with narrowed eyes. I naturally fell into a defensive stance, immediately recognising their wolfish scents. I resisted the urge to gag. Unlike Seth's scent, which was somehow comforting and warm, these werewolves were strangers, and their scents sent me waves of unease.

Although he wasn't the tallest, he was certainly the most muscular, and he stepped closer with menace. He didn't appear to be the alpha, but he was the substitute in his alpha's absence.

"Who the fuck do you think you are?" He snarled, his eyes narrowed in slits.

I hissed, "I could ask you the same thing."

The mutt growled, stepping closer again until another mutt gave him a warning bark. "You don't belong on this land, bloodsucker." Ignoring his companion's caution, he came closer.

His clenched fists were trembling violently, and he swiped his arm out suddenly in attempt to wipe me off the large rock I was still standing upon. I jumped, easily dodging his attack.

From our right, a blur lunged between the mutt and I, shoving the dog backwards. Seth.

For a young wolf and considerably smaller compared to his opposition, he appeared intimidation, and growled thunderously down at the mutt. He backed towards me, his arm spread in means of protecting me. His face still dripped with salty water, but his alarming body heat had dried most of the water from his skin. For a small moment, as I caught the gaze in his dark rich chocolate irises, I found my mind stuttering breathlessly.

His entire stance was electric with protectiveness and fierceness. My curled fingers loosened momentarily and my jaw slackened. I could've sworn his eyes flickered with such intense love it left me winded.

In the aggressively protected cage around my frozen, cold heart, I could almost physically feel one of my thick secure walls crumbling and flaking. I made a strangled sound, which caught Seth's attention. He looked back at me with deep concern. My stance deflated, and I stared back in his dark orbs before I sprung over the heads of all the wolves, plunging into the forest and tearing through the dense trees. I growled angrily at myself, ripping down a healthy tree with ferocity.

What was I _thinking_? Allowing a werewolf to become so close?

The Cullens' mansion soon appeared between the trees, and I leapt straight onto the roof, slipping into the empty attic. Alistair must've been hunting. I sat down, my form rigid and stiff. Deep in my chest, snarls grumbled restlessly. My clenched fist slammed on the chessboard, shattering it easily. Chess pieces dispersed across the floor whimsically.

Cardboard boxes were flattened by my furious fists, their contents beyond recognition, and articles of clothing were torn and shredded.

Scattered knocks fell upon the door, and my head snapped up, my crimson eyes still fiery. I blew out a agitated breath, attempting calmness. I approached the door, opening it roughly and nearly tearing it from its hinges and frame.

With wide and slightly anxious eyes, Jacob the mutt stood down several steps of the staircase, as if worried I would tear all his limbs off and shove their down his throat. My expression hardened as I glared down at him, seething.

He gulped, chewing his lip as he thrust out his arms, in which was held a box with a messy bow. My eyes narrowed suspiciously, and I took it from Jacob's grasp. He sagged in relief, scampering down the step.

"Why the bloody hell do I get assigned to be mail man for the witchy leech?" I heard him mutter to himself as he left my eyesight. I rolled my eyes, peering down at the box with a creased forehead.

I sat it on the window sill, as the table had been destroyed during my rampage.

I tore off the ribbon bow, and pried open the cardboard box. I blinked, frowning at the contents. It was a blood bag. B+ to be precise. I stared at it wearily, unsure what kind of joke this was. I gingerly lifted the blood bag, and found a folded note beneath it. I grabbed it and unfolded it, reading the messy scribble.

_Dear Ruby,_

_Merry Christmas!_

_From Seth_

_P.S stop eating people_

**Author's Note: What did you think? Is Ruby going to cave in soon? Or harden up and put poor Seth through more hell? Haha, what did you think of their Christmas presents to each other? I'm trying to weave in some humour throughout the intense parts of the story because I wouldn't like it at all if it didn't contain humour. Anyway, thank you for reading and please tell me what you think in a review! The next chapter should be up by next Sunday, possibly earlier as I'm ahead of schedule!**

**Thanks!**


	5. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: Surprise! Haha, I smashed out this chapter pretty quick, and I'm not impatient to wait until this coming Sunday to post it, so I'm posting it now. The next chapter should be up within this week. Enjoy!**

**Thank you to my wonderful recent reviewers: saphira88 and regrets-collect98!**

**Revelation**

"I've got to hunt," I announced from my tree branch. Seth was lousing on the lawn with his arms crossed behind his head. His eyes were closed peacefully, and his face appeared so innocent, so oblivious to the evil surrounding him. The silky yet messy cropped mop of hair was unruly and brushed across his forehead in the soothing whistling wind. It was lightly snowing, and snowflakes fell upon Seth's abnormally lean frame for his young age. He was blissfully unaware of the frazzled chilly season looming around him.

At my abrupt words, his eyes snapped open from a light slumber. His gaze fixed on my immediately and he scrutinised me in confusion. "Why?"

I rolled my eyes, jumping gracefully from my tree branch. "The battle is tomorrow – several hours away. I need to feed."

It was New Years Eve, several days after the debacle at the La Push cliffs with Seth's mutt friends. On Boxing Day, Seth had arrived at the Cullens' house, and offered an apology for what had previously happened, and I just responded by thanking him for the ridiculous Christmas gift he'd had delivered to me. That was it. I kept myself at a reasonable distance from Seth, preserving the condition of my frozen heart, a condition that Seth had threatened without my knowing until it was nearly too late.

I had learnt my lesson. Seth was a werewolf, I was a vampire. He was warm and kind, I was cold and rude. His overbearing heat had melted the barriers protecting my poor excuse for a heart. Somehow Seth had managed to make me feel like my heart still existed, like it was still viable. It was a feeling I couldn't describe, it was too overwhelming. When I saw the look in his eyes, the fierce protectiveness he had over me, it shocked me into a trembling fear. I'd never seen anyone hold that kind of intense emotion, most especially over me.

Seth made me feel things that I never thought possible for a vampire to feel. He made me feel like I wasn't a soulless evil creature of the night. Up until that moment on the cliffs, I'd been content with my simple Southern vampiric life. Now I couldn't stop myself from craving more of what Seth had offered me.

"I'm going with you," Seth automatically stated.

I scoffed. "No."

He stood, showing his stubbornness. "I'm going with you," he repeated.

I rolled my eyes with a sigh. "I eat people," I reminded, "you don't like that."

"You don't have to eat people." His eyes were weighed, torn. I flicked it off my mind, ignoring his sad stare.

"I like to eat people," I replied frankly, and watched intently as he flinched very slightly.

"I'm still going."

I couldn't understand why he wanted to accompany me to Seattle, where I would pick a victim off the streets and drain them of life. He was certainly opposed to my killing of people, and I could see a sense of unease every so often when he looked in my bright crimson red irises, which candidly displayed my choice of diet.

I didn't reply, and instead turned and whisked into the forest, with Seth hot on my heels. I heard the ripping off his clothes before a huge horse-like wolf came bounding beside me, giving a small bark towards me as we raced through the thick woodland.

It took over half an hour to arrive in Seattle, the stormy skies settling above us, shedding snow upon the city. After Seth slipped into a stranger's backyard and snatched a pair of shorts from their clothes drying line, we entered the depths of the city. Seth uncomfortably adjusted the pair of shorts, scrunching his nose in dislike.

"They're too big," he complained, huffing.

I snorted, my eyes steadily fixed ahead, searching for a meal within the vicinity. "Judging by the triple extra-large sized shirt next to those shorts, I'm not surprised."

Seth gave a sound of annoyance, before falling into silence as I felt his eyes bore into the side of my face. "Why can't you just drink off animals?" he suddenly whispered, melancholy prominent.

My face hardened. "Humans taste better than rabbits," I grimaced. "Carnivores," I added.

Seth sighed, clearly confused. "Then kill bears, lions," he paused. "You don't have to murder humans – people."

I didn't glance over to him, continuing to keep my eyes trained ahead. "Why buy the runt of the rams when you can buy the award-winning stud?" Seth made a noise, disapproving of my metaphorical use of comparing purchasing sheep to eating people.

"Her?" He murmured, following my watchful gaze towards a middle-aged pencil-skirted woman. She was babbling into her smartphone, standing impatiently by the sidewalk. He shuffled, moving out of our dim spot and moving towards the woman.

"What are you doing?" I snapped, narrowing my eyes at the shape-shifter.

"Luring in your meal," he muttered without looking back. I blinked, frowning. He was _helping_ me now? After his persistent talk about weaning me off human blood?

I watched as he approached the lady, offering a friendly smile and meek wave. She murmured into her phone's speaker before holding it against her shoulder, looking at Seth expectantly.

"Sorry to bother you," he smiled harmlessly at her, and gestured towards something unbeknownst to me. "It's just, I couldn't help but notice a strange man watching you – an ex maybe – and he didn't look very happy at all. Maybe a stalker actually," he corrected, wringing his fingers. "I just think you should get in your car and go home. It's getting late and he seemed… angry."

I stiffened, glaring heavily at Seth's back. _How dare he_? The woman's mouth opened slightly in shock, and she glanced around wearily, her expression drowning in instant worry.

"I… okay, um, thank you," she managed, and hurried away, hissing at the person on the other line of her phone in distress. Seth watched after her, before turning and returning to me. I growled at him.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" My teeth grinded in vehemence. He looked back uneasy, and waved his arms helplessly.

"You were going to kill her!" he exclaimed exasperatedly.

My eyes narrowed further, into slits. "What do you think I do when I hunt? _Pick flowers_?" I shoved past him, leaving the envelope of darkness to locate a new victim. "If you're going to try and be a hero, _leave_."

"She didn't deserve to die, Ruby," he whispered carefully. "No one does. She has a family, people who love her and who would miss her. There are other ways to satisfy your thirst. Please." He was begging, staring at me pleadingly, hoping I would understand his need to protect human life.

I stepped back. "I'll be back soon," I informed him emotionlessly, and turned away. I blurred into a run, quickly finding a forty-year old man jogging through a nearby park. I narrowed my eyes in concentration, and approached the man from behind, my wrists catching around his throat. He gasped loudly in surprise, and I wrapped my fingers around his mouth, arching his head sideways as I lowered my intimidating canines onto the soft flesh of his neck. With a grumbling growl low in my chest, I sunk my teeth in, withdrawing blood from his veins. He struggled beneath my grasp, and I could taste the horror in his delicious blood. He was terrified as he attempted to scream, to yell for help.

As his body began to become limp, I managed to ease my sharp razor-like teeth. I sniffed carefully, making sure I couldn't smell any of my venom inside his pumping veins. Satisfied with my diagnosis of his venom-free system, I dropped his body, prying his mobile phone from his pocket and dialling an ambulance. After feigning terror and begging for an ambulance to come and help a man who'd kneeled over randomly in the park, I dropped the phone on the grass by the man's unconscious form, and disappeared.

I relocated Seth easily – his stench was an alarming contrast to the delectable human scents in Seattle. He was sat at a sidewalk bench, his head bowed and his posture sullen.

His head perked up when he heard my sudden arrival, and he looked up at me, peering under his dark lashes.

"Brighten up," I requested, "he's still alive." Seth blinked in shock.

"What?"

"He's not dead. I didn't eat him – I only had a nibble," I phased bluntly. Seth's face was swept with a broom of elated pleasure.

"Thank you," he genuinely acknowledged me. I just shrugged it off, downplaying the incident that occurred moments earlier.

I'd never released a victim who wasn't completely drained of blood. Once more, Seth had shifted my entire concrete-bounded beliefs as a vampire. Why was he constantly making me question myself? Why was he thoughtlessly capable of making me feel guilty of what I was?

The vampiric army arrived to slaughter us all.

I'd experienced vampire armies for my entire immortal life in the South, but none as sinister as this one. Those armies didn't have power like Alec and Jane, numbers like the Volturi guard, manipulative strength like the Volturi held. Those armies I wasn't afraid of – but this one I was.

They appeared in a cloud of flawless and confidence intimidation. Power radiated from their cloaks, probing the defensive shield Bella cupped like a dome over our heads. I let out a breath of relief as Jane's power flicked violently against the shield, and was reflected with mirroring strength.

Beside me, Peter held Charlotte close by his side, his grip tight with security. I stood alone, a meter from Peter's nervous form. Behind me, Seth was huffing lightly in anticipation and similar nervousness that Peter had. Snowflakes were nestled in his thick sandy fur, and his big dark eyes were intense with barrelling thoughts as his gaze flickered to the back of my head every few seconds. He was afraid. The rest of the wolves were by the trims of the forest, except Jacob, who stood in his large wolf form beside Bella, Edward and Renesme. Everyone on our side of the clearing was in the arms of their perspective mate, in a mean of protection. Those who were without mate stood with those they held closest to their frozen hearts. If Jasper was here like he should've been, I would have stood beside him – but instead I had Rosalie in his place.

Aro spoke first, a wind of carefulness and intent in his words. I couldn't help but be angry. The Volturi were power-hungry vultures. They spent more time searching for gifted vampires instead of upholding the power they already held in our supernatural word. They had good intentions of sorts, besides their hunger for more power. If it weren't for their lawful coven, the vampiric world would've been exposed around the globe. They held stability and order in our world, but they constantly felt the need to strengthen their guard, their coven. People noticed – they noticed they were desperate for powerful gifts, and that in itself was tugging the Volturi into a dark ocean of weakness. They were slowly ruining themselves. _At least_, I thought,_ they weren't being completely obvious about their intentions of taking powerful vampires and using them for their own benefit within the Volturi_.

Aro beckoned Renesme forward, to touch her hand and see her thoughts. His ability was like Edward's – telepathy – but he held the ability to see every thought one person ever had with one touch, whereas Edward's was constant.

The back and forth motion of the verbal battle rolled by, and I found myself tuning out of their conversation, bouncing a fallen log in the far distance of the clearing. I didn't want to lose control of my temporary vocal filter. I didn't want to yell at the Volturi and sentence us all to our deaths. So I kept my mouth shut, staring at the log between the encasing trees.

The Volturi leaders turned their backs in order to make a collective decision of the guilt of the Cullen family. Everyone within the dome instinctively turned to their mate, settling kisses upon each other's lips, and my fists balled. I wouldn't die in a stupid battle about a falsely accused hybrid that I didn't even particularly like. Edward and Bella talked softly about Jacob taking Renesne and escaping from the grasp of the Volturi, before the black-clad leaders turn around and decided on the inevitable course of killing us all.

As Jane and Alec attempted to pierce the shield Bella still had wrapped around us, there were requests for opposing fighters. Vladimir wanted Alec, Tanya wanted Caius – her eyes were still ablaze with anger at the ancient immortal after he just killed her sister and burned her into nothing.

"I want Aro," I imputed, my eyes narrowed at the skull of the milky-eyed ancient.

"Let me remind you," Aro spoke, having turned around and was watching us choose our opponents with theatrical sadness, "whatever the council's decision, there need be no violence here."

I suddenly chortled at the laughable words of Aro. Violence was what the Volturi were hoping for – to knock off powerful opponents and convert others to their side. Edward let out a similar, snarly laugh.

Aro peered at the broody vampire with sadness evident. "It will be a regrettable waste to our kind to lose any of you. But you especially, young Edward, and your newborn mate. The Volturi would be glad to welcome many of you into our ranks. Bella, Benjamin, Zafrina, Kate, Ruby… dear Ruby, you have such a powerful gift…" I stiffened into a mould of cement, my gaze hard with fiery vehemence. "How is it so that I have no yet encountered you, dear Ruby?" He cocked his head to the side. "Not in my many years of immortality have I come across one with telekinesis. You are a delicacy." His tongue ran across his teeth. "Young one, would you do us great pleasure and join our ranks?"

Behind me, there was a crackling, deep growl of protest, and a wet snout nibbed my back protectively. I stood rigid, my expression one of indifference.

"No," I bluntly denied his invitation, my gaze challenging his, our sinister red eyes clashing against each other's. "Thank you," I added, grimacing mentally at my very apparent rudeness and dislike. I couldn't get on the bad side of Aro – it would end in less than desirable consequences for me.

Aro gave an over pronounced sigh of disappointment. "How sad," he mused, shaking his head, "a Volturi robe would suit you very so."

"No," I repeated, my eyes flickering in irritation. I was uncomfortable under the eyes of the entire Volturi guard, as it would earn me more attention than I desired. "I don't speak very well Italian," I informed him candidly.

His eyes widening, Aro let out a shrill laugh of delight, clapping his hands. Once again, a protective snarl sounded from Seth's snapping jaws. Aro blinked in childlike curiosity, as his sudden and piercing laugh died. He peered over my shoulder at the large bear-like wolf, who was leaning back on his hind legs, growling lowly at the vampire who stared at him with interest.

"This… creature has abnormal loyalty towards you, Ruby," Aro admired aloud, smiling. "It's such a shame these beings aren't reliable guards…"he trailed off, obviously still disappointed by Edward's words earlier, when he informed Aro that the shape-shifters had no particular loyalty to their coven, and definitely could not be used as guarding dogs.

Surprising both myself and everyone else watching, I growled loudly, moving in front of Seth in a defensive stance, my eyes narrowed in slits as I observed Aro, abruptly threatened by his intent.

Seth nudged my back with a slight whine, but I didn't move until Aro raised his hands delicately in a way of surrender, smiling slightly. I swallowed, realising I'd just openly revealed a weakness, a way of breaking through my defences. I growled at myself, angry at my stupidity. Why did Seth have to bring out such unfamiliar emotions in me?

"I do not intent harm towards your… pet, lovely Ruby." Another growl rippled in my throat at his sickly voice, soaked in faked sincerity. He intended more than just harm towards Seth. Servitude – _forced_ servitude. The kind of servitude I had been punished with for two years during my human life. Whilst majority of my human life had become faint, barely comprehendible, my years as a slave were the clearest, like piercing daggers cemented in my soul.

Aro backed away from the sensitive subject as tree branches tore from their hosts, whirling above the heads of the Volturi, dropping violently around Aro like deathly spears. His eyes widened at the act I'd committed, and I could almost see his thoughts reeling. My expression was hard, uncracked. I gave nothing away as I shifted into a slightly more relaxed stance.

There was a moment of silence, only broken by the soft howling of the wind, beckoning snow across the clearing. Seth made a wolfish purr of approval at my defiance against Aro, nuzzling the small of my back gently. I didn't respond to the act, but the smallest smile came upon my lips.

Edward made a noise, seeking Aro's attention.

"The danger you foresee from my daughter – this stems entirely from our inability to guess how she will develop? That is the crux of the matter?"

Aro agreed, aware of the direction Edward was going with his words. Glancing around briefly, everyone seemed unaware.

"So, if we could only know for sure," Edward continued, "exactly what she will become… then there would be no need for a council at all?"

Aro further agreed, and his voice grew in shrillness as he spoke to Edward. "If there was somehow to be _absolutely_ sure."

"And we would part in peace, good friends once again?" Edward asked of the ancient leader. I almost snorted at the mere irony.

"Of course, my young friend. Nothing would please me more." Aro's shrill voice rose in octaves.

Edward let out a chuckle, seeming victorious. "Then I do have something more to offer."

With narrowed eyes, Aro replied, "she is absolutely unique. Her future can only be guessed at."

Edward disagreed with a smile, "not absolutely unique. Rare, certainly, but not one of a kind." Edward added a courteous request for Jane's pressing attacks against Bella's shield to stop, which they reluctantly did.

Edward raised his chin. "Why don't you join us, Alice?" He called loudly through the clearing. My eyes widened considerably. Alice? _Jasper_?

Everyone murmured their shock, and Edward continued to smile faintly. My head snapped towards the edge of the forest line, where the petite vampire danced into view, with my honey-haired brother closely behind her. Behind the mated couple, three strangers ran – two females and a male. They shared Amazonian qualities.

One by one, they all fluidly jumped into the dome-like shield Bella held around us. As several reached to touch Alice in welcome, I gave a sound of greeting to Jasper, my eyes displaying my gladness in finally seeing him again. He gave a small smile in return, his eyes fierce.

Edward beckoned Alice to introduce the three guests she had brought into the tense clearing.

Caius snarled in furious protest. "The time for witnesses is past!"

Aro held a slender, silencing finger towards Caius.

Alice stepped forward gracefully, and gestured towards the strangers. "This is Huilen and her nephew, Nahuel." I frowned lightly, confusion swirling in my brain. What was the importance of these vampires – one noticeably less fluid and graceful. My frown warped slightly. The less fluid of the vampires, Nahuel, reminded me of the young hybrid child, Renesme. My brows creased further.

I made a tiny noise of realisation, only heard by those few closest to me. Nahuel, the slow male, was a _hybrid_. He was half human, half vampire. Huilen, the physically oldest vampire, began the tale of her life.

I felt no need to attentively listen, I knew what this was leading towards. Nahuel was the key to avoiding our deaths. He was the assurance that Renesme held no danger for our kind.

Huilen told the Volturi in an accented voice of how her sister had been seduced by a beautiful man – a vampire – and she quickly became pregnant with his child. The child had ripped through Huilen's sister, killing her as it tore from her womb. The child bit Huilen, in turn changing her into a vampire. They became immortal companions. It was over a century and a half ago.

Aro appeared obviously intrigued by the hybrid, and pressed him for answers. After Nahuel released more details of his lifestyle and history, Aro turned to Caius.

"Brother, there appears to be no danger. This is an unusal development, but I see no threat. These half-vampire children are much like us, it appears."

Caius scowled. "Is that your vote?"

"It is," Aro confirmed softly.

Aro turned to his army of witnesses and his guard. "Dear ones," he called, "we do not fight today."

In unison, the entire guard nodded, straightening their postures, ready to depart. Alec's creeping mist at the edges of Bella's shield dissipated. As the guard and witnesses began drifting into the forest, Aro lingers, and offered his formal apologies towards Carlisle, which Carlisle accepted stiffly. Aro gradually followed his guard from the clearing, disappearing from sight.

It was quiet following their leave. There were murmurs from Edward and Bella.

"Seriously, people," Alice laughed to everyone. "They're not coming back. Everybody can relax now."

Another pause of silence passed, before an explosion of cheers erupted. There were hooting howls and shouts of sheer happiness and relief. Mates turned to each other with peppering kisses, and I rotated slightly, facing Seth's bowing, large head. I peered into his eyes.

"You're not a guard dog," I stated, as if justifying my odd reaction to Aro moments prior. He whined in agreement. I reached out gingerly, and my fingertips lightly brushed through his silky fur. He pressed the side of his head into my head, humming in contentment.

For whichever reason, I was more pleased that Seth hadn't been plucked from his life and formed into a robotic guard dog than I was about the confrontation with the Volturi ending.

Seth flashed his pearly teeth at me in a doggish grin.

**Author's Note: What do you think? We're exploring more of Ruby now, as Seth starts getting through to her. I know Ruby hasn't been the happiest ball of cheesy sunshine, but she's _real_. Some readers have told me in reviews that she's a bit of a bitch, haha, but I love her. Please, please review. Love you all!**

**Thanks!**


	6. Chapter 5

**Surrender**

"Stay," he insisted, his golden eyes pleading. I glared back stubbornly, heaving a sigh.

"No." I added, "I prefer constant vampiric wars – not cuddly families."

He looked at me closely, a knowing glint in his eyes. "I said the same thing once upon a time."

I wrinkled my nose in distaste, shaking my head. "I've been here with your irritating, broody 'brother' and his newborn, while _you've_ been gallivanting around Brazil. I'd appreciate if you give me a few decades before I come back to this 'no hunting' zone."

Jasper just rolled his eyes. "Please, Ruby. Just another few weeks. It won't hurt."

I scoffed. "I'm not allowed to even kill a person without a werewolf barking at me."

Jasper's lit eyes dimmed slightly at my mention of killing people. I narrowed my eyes in response.

"Don't. You used to do exactly the same – just because you're a happy human-lover doesn't mean you can judge me."

He held his palms up slightly in surrender. "Just another few weeks," he repeated. "I haven't seen you in so long, and I've missed you. Alice is so excited to catch up with you, and it seems you've made quite an impression on Seth."

I scowled.

"You're a ghastly brother," I stated plainly. His lips stretched in a grin, unaffected.

"Just stay," he insisted persistently. I heaved a dramatic sigh, raising my shoulders with narrowed eyes.

"Fine," I allowed, "but in exactly ten days, I'm going back to Texas where I can rip off a hundred heads, because _apparently_ that's not allowed here."

Jasper just chuckled heartily, and collected me in a light hug. "I've missed you, Rubes."

I just rolled my eyes.

"I can feel the mutt's jealousy," Jasper whispered gently in my ear, a teasing note in his voice. I scowled, and squeezed my arms around his torso until I heard a satisfying crunch, and a wounded cry from Jasper's lips. With a grin, I released him, and stepped back, waltzing from the room, into the attic.

Besides my tree, the attic had become my safe haven during my stay at the Cullens'. I usually occupied my tree branch when I was in a relatively good mood, and tentatively welcomed company – mainly Seth – whereas the attic was strictly off-limits. I liked to be alone when I was in the attic. Although the company of Alistair had been fine, he had fled before the confrontation with the Volturi, never bidding even a goodbye. It didn't bother me – I'd learnt enough over my century and a half to know it was understandable survival instincts. If I didn't have a stupid weasel of a brother, I wouldn't have been far behind Alistair, never glancing back.

I sat by the window sill of the attic, peering down at the backyard of the mansion. Zafrina offered words of goodbye to the Cullens before she followed her coven mate into the forest, heading back to their homeland in the Amazon. Peter and Charlotte had left a few hours ago, much like most of the other witnesses of the Volturi confrontation. I intended on leaving with them, but decided to spend a few more hours with my older brother before leaving to return to my southern home. Peter ribbed me about my momentary scene with Seth, and Charlotte gave me a hug, before they intertwined hands and disappeared.

After the Volturi's departure in the snowy clearing, Seth and the werewolves had stayed for several minutes, before they retreated, to go back to their native reservation. Seth gave my cheek a sloppy lick, before bounding after his pack.

The curious stares I earned from numerous of the vampires was unnerving, and as much as I should've been reprimanding myself for the scene I'd caused, I couldn't. It felt like I'd done the right thing, what my natural instincts told me to do. _Protect Seth_. Of course, that realisation had brought with it many questions, and I confused myself with the many different excuses I came up with, to satisfy my mind.

I couldn't understand at which point I'd gained protectiveness over Seth Clearwater. Most of our conversations consisted of my snapping at him, insulting him. He always came back though, for whatever reason. I found myself wondering what would've happened if he simply never attempted a bond with me, and that question made my body convulse. I didn't _want_ to not have met Seth, I came to realise. I enjoyed Seth's company – his warmth such a contrast to what I'd always been around. He constantly held a smile, as if the wind had blown and frozen his expression in place.

What still held many of my thoughts, though, was Seattle. He'd tagged along stubbornly, for a reason unknown to me. I still couldn't understand why the kindest being I'd come across was insistent on watching me kill a human. But, although that had been my plan, he'd weaselled into the forefront of my thoughts when I was about I drink the last of the human's blood, and I'd stopped. I purposely left the human alive – an act I'd never committed in all my heartless, cold years as a vampire. It rattled me to my venomous core. Seth had an overwhelming if not terrifying ability to make me vulnerable, to make me question myself, and to make me feel _guilty_ for being mean.

"Ruby!" I heard a soft shout from outside, in the yard. I peeked out the window, immediately recognising the muscled creature that was Seth Clearwater. Uncontrollably, a tiny smile drifted across my lips, and in a blink it was gone. _I was becoming soft_, I huffed inwardly.

I pushed open the attic window, and slid out, pouncing off the roof and landing gracefully before Seth. He grinned cheerfully at me.

"Hello!" He greeted, merrily.

"Evening," I drawled in return. His eyes were squinted by the large size of his smile.

"Do you wanna go to the diner with me for dinner?" He asked, his large eyes peering at me hopefully.

I blinked. "I don't eat," I stated. "I'm dead," I added unnecessary.

He winked, "it's not _all_ about the food." In a swift sweep, he threw his arm over my shoulder and began leading me across the yard. I stiffened, shocked by the amount of physical contact. He was _sweltering_. The hotness of his russet skin felt blistering against mine, but in an odd, twisted way, it felt incredible. Carefully, I ducked from his grasp, the close contact too overwhelming. I attempted to mask the rejection of his touch, and tripped him over. His foot hooked beneath mine, and he flailed forwards, yelping in surprise. I gave a giggle, and bolted into the forest, waiting for the shape-shifter to catch up and lead us to our destination.

"What is this place?" I wondered aloud as we wandered through La Push. I involuntarily wrinkled my nose, the overpowering smell of the shape-shifters' territory wafting strongly up my nostrils. We were approaching the side of a quaint building, and I heard chatter and activity inside the walls.

"The diner," Seth answered. "Owned by Sue Clearwater, my mum." I gave a small smile, but inside I was surprised.

"Meeting the folks already, huh?" I jeered teasingly. Seth laughed, shaking his head.

"Well, just one," he replied. "My dad passed away a while ago…"

I looked up to Seth with wide eyes. Unbeknownst to me, the death of his father seemed more heartbreaking than the many deaths I'd caused with my own hands. "I'm sorry for your loss," I offered, and I meant it. He gazed at me with a soft smile, shooing away the dark memories that had crept into the front of his mind.

"Thank you." The subject was then left alone, and Seth held open the door of the diner for me. I gave him a glance of appreciation, and he mockingly gave a dramatic bow in return. I let out a soft laugh, curtsying briefly before entering the diner. It was cosy, not anything extravagant but it was homey and welcoming.

"Mum!" Seth shouted suddenly from beside me, and he wandered behind the clothed bar bench. "Where's the cake?"

My lips twitched in amusement, and I peered around the diner. There was a young couple in a corner booth, and a family of three at a table at the other end of the diner. They gave subtle curious looks towards me, and I strode forward, sliding onto a stool at the bar of the diner.

"Stop," I heard a command from the kitchen of the diner, and it was followed by a loud whack, then a yelp.

"Mum," Seth complained. "I'm _hungry_."

"You're always hungry," she replied sharply, "now get out of my kitchen, you little tyke." Seth moaned dramatically, and dragged himself into my view, his expression crestfallen. I just shook my head, amused. He pouted when he saw my expression, and fell into the stool next to mine. From the kitchen, a middle-aged native woman came wandering, adjusting her apron and flicking a stray strand of her cropped hair behind her ear. She spotted me, and her smile widened kindly. If she were shocked or terrified to see me – a vampire – she certainly hid it well.

"Ah, you must be the famous Ruby," she winked light-heartedly. "Your name seems to be the only word in Seth's vocabulary these days."

Seth scowled by my side, his cheeks darkening slightly beneath his russet tone. I gave a small laugh.

"You must be Sue," I returned. She nodded, smiling. The corners of her eyes wrinkled from age and the excessive amount of smiling she did – a trait she must've passed onto Seth.

"Would you like some cake, Ruby?" She asked politely. Seth's jaw fell in dismay, obviously rebuked by her avoidance of asking him if he wanted cake.

I gave a frank grin. "No thanks, I'm dead," I jauntily stated. She blinked at my forwardness, but let out a loud laugh.

"Sorry, dear, I forgot about that," she said apologetically. I waved her off easily.

"Mum," Seth dragged out, his face flat against the benchtop, misery clear in his features.

Sue rolled her brown eyes, pushing a small plate across the bench towards him, which held a moist piece of chocolate cake. Seth's face lit up, as if it had been announced that Santa was coming two times each year now. His mood instantly perked several octaves, and he immediately scooped a forkful of cake into his opened mouth. I watched him with fascination, my elbow propped on the bench, supporting my cheek in my palm. He noticed me midway through his second scoop.

"What?" He questioned, his eyes wide.

I shrugged, my crimson eyes twinkly. "You eat like… well, like a dog," I informed him. He just grinned toothily, flashing his teeth which were covered in residue of dark chocolate cake. I scrunched up my face in distaste, leaning away from the shape-shifter. "How do you find that delectable?"

"At least I don't slurp blood," he retorted easily. I rolled my eyes, watching as his mouth widened slightly to fit his impossibly huge forkful of cake through his lips.

"Disgusting, isn't it?" Sue mused from behind the register, as she flicked through her bills, counting the money. I nodded in silent agreement. Seth didn't seem to hear, contently shovelling the cake into his mouth. I just shook my head, deeming scolding Seth useless. He ate with horrific manners. If we were in the 1800s and Seth had been invited to a dinner with my mother and father, they'd never even consider an arranged marriage after seeing him eat.

"Wanna go for a walk?" Seth cheerfully asked, wiping his mouth with his forearm. I watched him in distaste, but nevertheless, followed him from the diner bench.

I hesitated, and turned around awkwardly. "It was nice to meet you, Sue," I offered, grimacing at my rusty manners. It had been quite a while since I felt the need to be nice to someone, and Seth's mother somehow fit that category. She smiled widely at me, her eyes twinkling happily.

"You too, dear. I hope I see you again soon." I nodded with a tiny smile, and left the diner, shuddering at my appalling attempt at kindness. _I definitely needed practice_.

Seth and I fell into steps side by side, my feet taking double the amount of steps to keep in line with Seth's long strides. We approached the beach, and we walked in silent up onto the cliff edge, finding ourselves on the large rock that we had occupied the last time we had come to the cliff.

Tilting my head, I thoughtfully planned my words, making sure they were void of rudeness before I spoke them. "What happened to your father?"

Seth inhaled carefully, staring ahead as his fingers fumbled with loose specks of the rock. "He had a heart attack," Seth's usually bright eyes visibly darked, and his shoulders fell slightly. "He'd been having heart problems for a while… he always made them seem small, nothing fatal, you know?" he shrugged, pursing his lips with grief and sorrow. "When my sister first phased, it caused him to have a heart attack – because no female has ever transformed. It was so unexpected. When he died, I phased too."

I listened intently, and struggled with a nice approach as his head hung sadly. My eyes squinting in discomfort, I unsurely reached out, and patted him several times on the shoulder, before I dropped my hand. He glanced over at me, offering a half smile of gratitude. I just shrugged helplessly. I can't remember the last time I needed to comfort someone who was deeply upset.

"Anyway," he shook the sorrow from his eyes, smiling keenly at me, "tell me about your family. What was it like living in nineteenth century?"

"Simple," I easily described, recalling wistfully how life had been when I was a human. Well, at least what I remembered of it. "My childhood was simple – I learnt how to cook, clean, take care of my family like my mother showed me. My father left for the army about five years before I was turned… My brother joined the Confederate Army when he was seventeen – underage. After he'd left, an unexpected man showed up at our home, and he took me away, to a rich man called John Stanley and his family. I became their slave – not their only one either." Seth was staring at me, his horror undisguised.

"You were a _slave_?"

I shrugged uneasily. "After about a year, I ran away, to find my brother. I came across a woman called Maria. She was a vampire, and well… here I am."

"Did you have a husband arranged for you?" Seth teased me lightly, gently steering away from the subject of my early vampirism. I could hear an undertone of intensity though – he didn't seem happy at the thought of me having an arranged marriage.

I shook my head with a small smile. "My mother wanted to wait until my father came home. If he ever did, I would've been either a slave or a vampire." Seth's expression was sympathetic, and he mimicked my earlier pat of his back, lightly clapping his large, warm hand on my shoulder blade. I gave a small chuckle.

"It wasn't as easy as an arranged marriage, though," I informed Seth, leaping onto my feet gracefully, balancing along the edge of the cliff. Seth's eyes followed my feet carefully, as if I'd fall to my death. _Unlikely_, I mentally mused. "My future husband would have to court me, for as long as I deemed necessary, until I agreed to marriage."

Seth gave a teasing grin. "It's so old-fashioned."

I softly smiled, with sincerity, as I remembered the 1800s. "Like every little girl, I was so excited about getting married, dreaming about what my dress would look like, who my husband would be."

"Someday," Seth stated softly, sounding sure.

I jumped across a missing chunk of the cliff edge, and turned back towards Seth. "I should return to the Cullens'," I informed him. "Jasper's probably thinking I've run back to Texas." Seth glanced up curiously. "Not yet, cowboy," I added. My words did less than soothe him, and he appeared distressed by them.

"You're going back to Texas?" His voice had dropped, just above a whisper. I blinked, surprised by the obvious dejection he displayed.

"Not yet," I repeated, suddenly focussed on easing his sadness.

Seth phased into his wolf form as he pounced off the rock, his clothes tearing. We ran into the forest, racing to the Cullen household. As we neared, I bid goodbye to the shape-shifter, and leapt into the trees, jumping across the yard into the kitchen on the second floor. Esme was humming melodically as she prepared food, for whom I assumed was Renesme. She glanced up at my abrupt arrival, and smiled kindly.

I began walking slowly past the kitchen, but paused hesitantly, glancing at Esme. "Esme…" She looked up at me. "Would you be able to teach me how to… be nice?" She blinked, and smiled widely, nodding easily, as if unsurprised by my odd request.

"Of course, my dear," she chuckled. I swallowed the venom in my throat, and awkwardly left the room, unable to even identify who I was anymore.

Ruby Whitlock wasn't _nice_. She was heartless and blunt. She wasn't like Seth Clearwater.

I sighed to myself as I headed up to the attic, chewing my lip absentmindedly.

**Author's Note: How'd you like it? It isn't my favourite chapter I've written, but I needed to tie in a few things before I get to the interesting part, as this story has been planned prior to writing. Anyway, please review, it would mean the world, and thank you to everyone who had reviewed so far, or favourited or followed - it makes me so happy that people read my work. Anyway, see you sometime next week with a new chapter! Lots of love!**


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